Pokemon: The First Movie review

There's no sign yet that the over-inflated Pokémon hype airship will do a Hindenberg so dig yer trenches and prepare for the film.

The `first' movie is actually two; bundled with the main feature is psychedelic non-sense short Pikachu's Vacation. Any attempt to explain the plot would end in a headache, much like the effect of the flashing images which invade the screen every minute or so.

The feature itself is a little darker - - a new threat to Poké-human happiness is created in Mewtwo, who has been cloned from the rarest of all Pokémon. Delivering its moral finger-waving with all the subtlety of an hyperactive eight year old this is full of mixed messages, such as "It's wrong to fight." So what's the franchise all about, then?

Still, it delivers exactly what it promises, so add five trillion stars to the rating for the young Poké-addicts who'll lap this up.